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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — a thing
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — of a river
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. drill — army training
  17. chest — a box
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — a hole
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com